Basic Cuts
by Rannaty
Summary: Ryou meets up with Malik after a disaster strikes Domino City. Neither of them know what's going on but sticking together is their best option. Malik's darker personality isn't as gone as advertised. (A magical disaster plot but from the pov of the side characters) Deathshipping


A/N: I guess I'm writing for this fandom again. Enjoy and leave a review if you feel so inclined :D

* * *

"It's not," Ryou played with a point of The Ring, "It's not how it was before. I just black out." He chanced a glance at Malik who's sitting next to him on the floor, leaning against a wall. The wall paper was peeling off, there was dirt on his pants when he shifted. Without thinking, Ryou moved to dust him off. "He doesn't talk to me anymore."

Malik didn't comment on Ryou's actions, moving to better face the other. "I still think it's weird that you have it, that you're keeping it, after everything," he said, eyes searching Ryou for something.

Ryou smiled with a shrug. "I found it in the ruins. It's all I have left." It was a sad thing to say with such an easy, care-free expression. Malik's face said he didn't understand the sentiment, and Ryou didn't quite get it himself, but The Ring carried the memories of his friends and his father. With his father long gone and Yuugi and friends' whereabouts unknown... Ryou made sure the rope around his neck was fastened properly.

Malik leaned back with a sigh. "It hurt you."

"So did you," Ryou didn't accuse.

"I'm sorry."

They didn't look at each other or speak for a while after. Eventually, Malik got up to dust off the blankets they had found and arrange them on the floor. They had locked the door for a better chance of sleeping in peace; people were dangerous when desperate and their shelter had running water.

"You need sleep, too. Come on," Malik gestured at their meager sleeping arrangement.

"I'm fine for a while longer, you go ahead," Ryou said, hugging his knees.

Malik stared at him, as though trying to will Ryou to obey with his mind alone. After a beat, he realized that he was going to have use his words. He crossed his arms. "It gets cold at night." When that failed to get him more than a confused blink, he elaborated, "I can't really sleep, I just shiver all night. So, please, just come here."

It dawned on Ryou what Malik wanted and, after a moment of hesitation, he moved to lie next to him. They entered a standstill where they're not close enough to share body heat but neither of them moved to rectify the situation.

"Just, make sure I don't wander off, alright?" Ryou said, trying to get comfortable.

Malik looked at him. "Is that a legitimate concern?"

"The last time I fell asleep, I woke up near here and found you." It hadn't been the worst place he had woken up in but still disconcerting.

Malik huffed and rolled to his side, slinging an arm over him. "That should keep you there. Sleep now." He closed his eyes pointedly.

"Good thing you're here, as the brains of this operation," Ryou joked for the first time in what felt like forever. Malik squeezed him a little in reprimand and soon they were asleep.

* * *

Ryou woke up to voices from outside. He was facing the side Malik had slept in but there was no one there; the blanket was thrown over Ryou and for a moment he considered going back to sleep. Judging from the light, it was early morning, and while he's not comfortable on the hard floor with a bedcover as a mattress, he's sleepy instead of exhausted.

Voices. Malik was by the window, frowning at the outside world. Ryou stretched, giving himself a moment longer to wake up before facing the latest problem. "What's going on?" he asked.

Malik didn't turn from the window to reply, "There's people in the yard."

Ryou was up and next to him. "How many?"

"I've counted five."

"That's not too bad. Maybe they're friendly." Ryou wasn't worried for his own safety. The last time he was attacked, he had lost consciousness and come to in a different place, armed with a knife he didn't recognize. He didn't know how The Ring would react to Malik. It hadn't murdered him last night so there was hope.

Malik was looking at him like he didn't think Ryou was the paragon of intelligence. "At least three of them are armed," Malik pointed out. "I don't think we should take any chances."

Like on cue, there was a yell and a crash. The window shattered, shards raining on both of them as they scrambled for shelter. Malik yanked Ryou with him to help upend a bookcase to cover most of the broken window. They sat on the floor, leaning against the shelves, listening.

"You know there are other windows, right?" Ryou whispered.

Malik buried his head in his hands with a pained hiss. "I know," he snapped. "Give me a minute."

A second crash, somewhere in the direction of the kitchen. Ryou had no time to worry about his companion as he jumped at the sound, just in time to avoid a pipe swung from the sliver of the window not covered by the bookshelf. It got Malik on the side of the head. He went down with a yell, fingers tugging at his hair.

Their attacker retreated his arm to peer inside. Ryou reached for his hidden knife. Before he had a chance to use it, Malik grabbed his wrist. He tore his eyes away from the window to meet half-lidded eye and a look too pleased for their situation. Malik's hair had been messier than Ryou had remembered before but now it was a disaster.

"Allow me," he said. It wasn't Malik's voice. He took the knife from Ryou's surprise-slack grip and plunged it into the face of their assailant. The body hit the ground outside. Malik got up to make his way towards the commotion coming from the kitchen. Ryou sat there, wide-eyed.

Screams and laughter from the other room, then silence.

Ryou considered house on the edge of the city was a good shelter: running water, remote enough for relative safety but close enough to the city to make a looting trip by foot. There was a well on the edge of the property for if the pipes stopped working. He didn't want to give it up. It wasn't worth dying over but worth hanging on to, even with Malik's condition. The Ring hadn't done whatever it did at the sight of danger so maybe there was none. Still skeptical about his chances of survival, Ryou got up at the sound of footsteps, tried to control his shaking. He hadn't confronted other Malik before and wasn't thrilled to do so now where no one could hear him scream.

Malik came into view, covered in less blood than Ryou had expected, examining the knife before looking at Ryou. His eyes honed in on The Ring. He grinned. "Is it time for another Shadow Game already?"

There was a reference there, to something unpleasant, Ryou just couldn't remember. "No," he whispered, then louder, "No. The Spirit of The Ring isn't here, at least, not like he was before."

"What a shame, I did enjoy our last encounter." He lifted his gaze to Ryou's, expression somehow both malicious and disinterested. "How was the Shadow Realm?"

"I can't remember," Ryou replied, voice as even as he could keep it. From what he had gleamed from his friends, he had just disappeared until other Malik had been defeated. "You tell me." The words were out before he could stop them. Picking a fight with a knife-happy Malik was exactly what he wanted to avoid.

To his relief, Malik just narrowed his eyes at him, grin fading, and turned his attention to the room. "I can't remember," he admitted with a sour look.

Neither of them was meant to be there.

Exhausted from the excitement, Ryou slumped against the bookshelf. Malik observed the movement from the corner of his eye but made no move to stab him. Encouraged by not being dead yet, Ryou asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going out."

"Can I get the knife back?" Ryou ventured. Malik laughed at him while turning to unlock the door. Ryou took it as a no.

"Don't worry, I'll put it to good use," Malik said over his shoulder and left. Just like that, Ryou was alone again.

* * *

The kitchen was a mess.

* * *

Late that night, when Ryou was weighing the pros and cons of sleep, Malik returned. Ryou saw him wander across the yard in the faint light of the moon, his silhouette unmistakable. No sleep, then.

A knock on the door. Ryou had expected the other to just break in, perhaps through a window.

"Open the door, I know you're in there," Malik called. Then, softer, "I have something for you."

Ryou didn't move from his spot by the window. "Is it a knife to the face?" he asked, loud enough for Malik to hear him.

Malik laughed. "No. Guess again."

"A body part, then." Ryou wasn't sure why he was playing along. He should be more worried for his safety as there was no guarantee that even if The Ring protected him, he's come out on top. But then again, Malik hadn't tried to hurt him. Yet.

"Wrong again. Though, I can fetch you one if that's what you have your heart set on."

Ryou made a disgusted face. "No thank you. Just tell me."

"Open the door and I'll show you. Trust me, you'll want it."

Ryou hesitated, but his curiosity was peaked.

"I'll get in either way," Malik warned. The implications were clear: open the door or face the consequences.

Once Ryou had gotten his trembling fingers to obey enough to undo the lock, Malik chuckled and gave him what at a first glance looked like a piece of paper, burned around the edges. As he examined it, his eyes grew wide. "Where did you find this?" He recognized the image: a group shot of his friend group, taken years ago.

"Near Kaiba Corp."

A tear hit the photo, right on Yuugi, and Ryou realized that it was his. He put a hand on his mouth to cover a sob, blinking furiously at the image. Loneliness gnawed at him like he hadn't felt before. He had no idea what had happened to his friends, if they were still alive. A hand under his chin lifted his face, forcing him to meet Malik's indifferent gaze.

"Oh yes," Malik's thumb smeared the tears on Ryou's cheek. He licked his lips. "You're much more entertaining alive."

* * *

The rest of the night they spent in different parts of the house. While Malik seemed amused by Ryou's discomfort, after a time he grew bored of keeping Ryou on edge with his presence and stalked off to explore. Neither slept.

* * *

At first light, Ryou filled a water bottle and set out. He wanted to search the Kaiba Corp headquarters for clues of what had happened to his friends. They might not be there anymore but they must have been if that was where Malik had found the photo. He doubted Kaiba had had one lying around.

Before Ryou cleared the yard, Malik called after him, "Your friends won't be there."

Without bothering to turn around, Ryou yelled back, "I'm going anyway!" He knew Malik was right but this was the first glimmer of hope he'd had since the nightmare started, and he needed to hold on to it.

His determined stride was joined by a much more relaxed one. Malik smirked at his questioning look. "I'm coming to watch your last hope die."

Ryou scoffed. "This isn't my last hope, just the latest." He heard Malik's pleased hum, working hard not to react. "What happened to Malik?" The biting edge in his voice was a reaction, no matter how he fought. He knew he shouldn't let Malik provoke him, but here he was, getting emotional.

"I am Malik," Malik said, a bit better at not getting provoked.

"No, I mean, uh Malik Prime?"

"Oh, he's around," he gestured at his head. "But I doubt you'll see him again."

"And why is that?" Ryou saw Malik smile from the corner of his eye. They were still walking, facing ahead.

"Because I'm the improved version. He might have been here first but I'll be here last."

Ryou had nothing to say to that.

* * *

Kaiba Corp looked like it had been left mid-demolition. The top of the building was rubble at its base, blocking the main entrance. With most of the windows broken, getting inside was easy.

While Ryou looked around, Malik was a silent shadow, always closer than Ryou felt comfortable with. He'd crouch to rummage through broken office equipment, and when he got up, Malik would be at his back, staring as Ryou took a couple hasty steps to put distance between them. It kept happening, and while Malik never made a move to grab Ryou, he remained close enough to make Ryou run into him or brush against him. The behavior combined with not finding anything to indicate his friends' whereabouts wore on Ryou until he snapped.

"Personal space! Have you heard of it?"

"I have," Malik said, impassive, and made no move to back off. "There's no need to take your frustration out on me."

"This isn't about that!" Malik raised an eyebrow, growing visibly amused, so Ryou amended, "Mostly! This isn't about that, for the most part." He had hoped to find evidence that Yuugi and the others were still alive. Turning away to wipe at his eyes, he addressed Malik again, more subdued, "How thoroughly did you search this place?"

"I was pretty thorough."

"And you didn't find anything to... It was just the photo?"

"Yes."

"You could've just told me, instead of," his voice broke, "instead of playing your stupid mind games." He heard Malik shrug.

"You wouldn't have believed me and we'd be here regardless."

Hating that Malik was right, Ryou steeled himself to turn back around with a smile. He refused to let Malik get any more enjoyment out of his misery. "So, this was a bust. I'm going to search the cafeteria for supplies and head back."

Malik didn't follow.

After gathering every non-perishable food he could find and carry, he headed back. Maneuvering around and over fallen walls and stopped cars wasn't easy with his arms full. Ryou decided to scavenge himself a bag later. He had lost most of his possessions in the initial chaos and been more concerned with finding food and shelter in the aftermath. He still didn't know what had happened.

The house was empty. He tried to eat but found his appetite gone after a couple of bites. It was getting dark out and Ryou half-expected Malik to show up any moment. But he didn't. Ryou had no guarantee that he would, no will to analyze why he wanted Malik to come back. Maybe it was just that Malik had been his only company since the disaster started. Used to being surrounded by friends, the loneliness was getting to him more than he'd been prepared for. Tired and alone, Ryou wrapped himself in a blanket and dozed off.

* * *

He woke up to a feeling that something was different. Rolling on his back, he met a cold and focused stare. He yelped, pressing harder against the floor as though to escape downwards from the looming figure. His heart beat wildly even as he recognized the eyes and the silhouette in the dim light of predawn.

Malik's eyes narrowed with mirth. "Good morning."

Ryou let out a hysterical giggle at the greeting. "I-it's barely even that," he managed. Malik was sitting on the floor, leaning over him, observing. The behavior made as much sense as anything but at least he hadn't been murdered in his sleep.

Being alive presented him with a dilemma: if he sat up as they were, he'd hit his head on Malik's. He supposed he could roll away and then get up but just visualizing it felt embarrassing. "So, uh, I'd like to get up now."

"I'm not stopping you," Malik said and did nothing to help.

Ryou frowned, agitated and in thought. The worst Malik had done so far was be creepy at him, so, mind made up, Ryou pushed himself up with one arm while using the other to push Malik away. He was careful and slow about it, and Malik let him, sort of swaying back when Ryou rose to occupy the space he had been in.

He startled when Malik grabbed the hand from his chest. His plans of bolting up and away halted, he was left to stare at the other who was a lot closer than a friendly distance. Again. The hold on his hand wasn't painful but tight enough to keep it. "About that personal space thing..."

Malik's eyes snapped from their joined hands to Ryou's and he grinned. "Come with me." He dragged Ryou up with him and out the door. For a while, Ryou was too surprised to protest so he just stumbled where Malik led him.

Once in the yard, Malik stopped, guiding Ryou to stand in front of him with, "Remember the people that attacked us?" Ahead, in irregular intervals on the edge of the yard, were the heads of their attackers, mounted on the fence. "That'll deter any further attempts."

Fascination fought nausea, which ended with Ryou feeling ill anyway. He had only ever imagined scenes like the one before him, for his games, but seeing the real thing was a different matter. The heads were facing away so Ryou was spared the sight of their faces frozen in horror and pain. That was for whoever dared to trespass. He had to admit that as horrifying as it was, their new fence ornaments would help keep them safe.

Having seen enough death to last him a lifetime, Ryou turned away. His stomach chose that moment to remind him that he hadn't eaten a full meal in a long time. He glanced at Malik, embarrassed.

Malik was watching him with narrowed eyes. "I've decided to keep you alive and you not eating is detrimental to that."

Surprised into compliance yet again, Ryou followed Malik back to the house. His other hand was still trapped in Malik's but he hadn't acknowledged that, too busy taking in the gruesome display. "I'm not all that hungry," he lied. The hand was warm.

Malik gave him a sideways look but didn't comment. Ryou knew he'd been caught in the lie either way. Inside, Malik fished out the can Ryou had started the night before and a spoon. He had to let go of Ryou's hand to accomplish it and for a second, Ryou felt the absence before the hand was replaced with the can.

"When was the last time _you_ ate?" Ryou challenged after forcing down the first spoonful. "Or slept, for that matter." He hadn't seen Malik do anything aside from being creepy and bossy and murderous. "A man can't live on murder alone."

Malik smirked. "Why? Are you worried about me?" It was clear that he meant it as a taunt but as Ryou thought about it, he found that he was concerned. If not for this side of Malik than for Malik's body.

"I am," Ryou replied, keeping eye contact while eating another spoonful. It felt like defiance even as he was doing as told. "You'll need to shower, too. You smell like death."

Malik's expression was carefully impassive as his eyes kept flicking down to Ryou's mouth.

"Do you want some of this?" Ryou offered his can and spoon.

Malik snorted, derisive, and left to the direction of the bathroom.

* * *

"I'm going out," Ryou said. Malik had been watching him from a corner of the room for hours, and Ryou had had enough. He'd just have to be creepy by himself for a while. A strange mixture of relief and disappointment filled Ryou when Malik made no move to follow or stop him. He had expected some controlling verbal creepiness, not this silent, coiled variety. The anticipation that Malik would spring into action at any moment was more unnerving than the constant surveillance.

On the way out, he tried to ignore their fence decorations. It was hard not to look; the heads attracted his eye the same way a horrifying accident would.

Destination unclear, Ryou wandered. The city was a wasteland of concrete, looking at it and thinking about it only put him in a worse mood. But it was this or Malik, and right then he would rather deal with whatever the city in ruins made him feel than the feeling of being under a microscope. If that microscope was liable to explode and also crazy.

Not that he was under Malik in any sense. Not that he'd ever want to be. He was ready to admit that Malik was nice to look at and his only company and had, in a round-about, sadistic way taken care of him. Those were just things he was forced to be aware of because he was lonely and Malik was there. None of it meant anything.

It was just that sometimes he wondered if Malik felt the same. If Malik was lonely, too, and Ryou was there, offering an option to being alone. Maybe that was the reason for the invasions of Ryou's personal space, maybe that was the real reason Malik didn't want him dead.

The rational part of him told him that he was being stupid and going insane.

He needed some space, time way from the house and its other occupant. His provisions would keep him going for a long enough time, and while wandering aimlessly with no definite shelter in mind didn't appeal to him, staying away from Malik for a bit would be better for his sanity. So he kept going down a street then another, keeping an eye out for signs of life. Being on the move cleared his head.

Far too soon the sun set. Sleep wasn't in the cards but trying to navigate the debris in the dark was too risky. He ducked into an abandoned building, missing the shelter the house provided but he did not miss Malik. At one point during the night, he heard voices from somewhere beyond his field of vision. They came closer before staring to grow distant again. He had seen enough horror movies to know not to explore.

After spending the night surrounded by cold concrete, Ryou decided that his fit was over. His fingers were numb, his water was gone, and he had spent far more time thinking about Malik than he felt comfortable with. He made his way back in a defeated sulk until he heard footsteps behind him. Sparing a glance to make sure it was no one he knew, he spotted a small group of people tailing him. He ran, they took off after him.

His joints were stiff from sitting on the ground most of the night but a blind panic spurred him on. His encounters with other humans hadn't been great so far, and this one wasn't looking good either. It was almost as though the catastrophe had brought out the worst in people.

The house was within view. Ryou's breath came ragged as he made the final distance to the fence. He was torn between wishing that Malik was there so he'd have backup, and that he wasn't so he wouldn't see Ryou running around in fear.

From behind him, he heard startled exclamations and when he pivoted on his heel to look back, his pursuers had stopped in front of the fence, staring at the heads in shock. Ryou kept backing away in case they changed their minds and followed him. Almost at the front step, he backed into someone. He froze.

"I told you they'd work," Malik said, right by Ryou's ear. Before he had the chance to even think about pulling away, Malik snaked an arm around his waist to keep him close. It made Ryou's insides squirm but he couldn't decide if it was pleasant or not.

"I never doubted that," Ryou replied, voice shaking, trying to catch his breath after a run.

"Leave, before I add you to my collection!" Malik called out to the people still lingering outside the yard. It spurred them to make a hasty retreat. While following his almost-prey with his eyes, Malik addressed Ryou again, "Where were you?"

"Around the city," Ryou shrugged. His heart was pounding but not out of fear. "Why? Were you worried?"

"I knew you'd get in trouble."

Ryou swallowed his nerves. He stole a glance at Malik to try and determine his mood but the other was close enough for Ryou's hair to hide most of his face. "I just, I thought I'd get in bigger trouble if I stayed," he confessed in a whisper, hoping that Malik wouldn't catch onto his meaning. He felt more than saw Malik grin. There was no hope for him.

"Or bigger trouble would get into you?" Malik tightened his hold briefly and chuckled when Ryou's face heated.

"That's not," Ryou tried to protest, hiding his face in his hands. "Oh god." This couldn't go well for him, whatever "this" was. Instead of fear, he just felt embarrassed and not very smart.

* * *

A barrier had broken between them. Where before Malik hadn't cared about Ryou's personal space much, he now cared even less. He'd be there, close enough to touch and go through with the touching. An arm around Ryou's shoulders as he had a monologue about his disturbing thought process, a hand on Ryou's arm or back to direct his attention. On the most unnerving occasion, he had been talking about something when Malik had brushed Ryou's hair out of his face and put it behind his ear. Ryou had forgotten what he had been talking about. He had 'um'ed and 'uh'ed for a moment before turning on his heel to go to the other room.

The only way to articulate the tension building inside was that Malik's behavior was so nonthreatening that it put Ryou on edge. Malik had to know what he was doing. It made him want to build the barrier back up or tear it down further but he did his best not to think about what either of those options meant. The whole ordeal left him frustrated.

Ryou had taken to pacing through the house. After how the last time he had left had ended, he wasn't in a hurry to go outside. They were fine in the supplies department in any case. It took about five trips through the living room for Malik to ask what was wrong with him. Ryou put on the brightest fake smile he had. "I'm fine," he said, and continued pacing.

The next time Ryou was about to take a turn around the living room, Malik was there to block his path. They danced around each other, with Ryou trying to continue his pacing and Malik trying to stop him, until Malik grew bored of it and grabbed Ryou by the shoulders.

"You acting like this is making me feel restless," he said, like a confession, looking pained. "And don't just tell me you're fine, that was never convincing."

It was the first time Ryou realized that Malik was effected by the things he did and said. He had assumed that if he wasn't in pain, Malik was indifferent. "Well," he started, stopping to wet his lips but not to think about what was coming out of his mouth. "Sometimes the emotions of people around you effect how you feel, and that's called empathy." He was pretty sure this Malik wasn't familiar with the concept.

"Don't get smart with me," Malik warned.

"That's not what I'm doing at all," Ryou protested. His eyes kept slipping from Malik's eyes to his mouth. "On the contrary, I'm getting stupid with you." Testing the boundary of movement Malik's grip on him provided, Ryou discovered that it kept him from getting away but not from getting closer as him moving into Malik's space for once caught the other off-guard enough to loosen his hold. His step closer moved the hold from his shoulders to behind his neck. Taking advantage of both of their lapses in judgment, Ryou pecked him on the lips. The kiss was there and gone but it left him blushing and Malik looking like he had just had an epiphany.

"Oh," Malik said, eyebrows raising up to meet his hairline.

"What 'oh'?" Ryou asked, a little bit scared of the implications. "I'm sorry if that wasn't-" he didn't get to finish before Malik's mouth was on his. It started out clumsy, like he just sort of knew what he was doing and was improvising the rest, but Ryou was in the same boat so he didn't complain. Just as they were getting the hang of it, Ryou pulled away again. He was more reluctant about it and the tension that had been building inside of him felt easier to deal with. He still had some doubts about this.

"Do you even like me?" Ryou asked, dreading the answer. To be fair, he wasn't sure why he felt like getting closer to Malik was a thing he needed to do, but here he was and here they were, in each other's arms.

Malik looked puzzled at the question. "I don't _hate_ you," he ventured.

"Not hating someone and liking them isn't the same thing," Ryou pointed out.

"For you, perhaps, but consider that I am made of hate, and it's the only thing I've ever felt towards any person." Malik ran his fingers through Ryou's hair until he got to his lower back, settling his palm there. "But I don't hate you, Ryou."

Ryou felt like tearing up a bit. The confession sounded more significant than he was willing to believe it was, and more heartfelt than Malik should be capable of. He smiled, "Ok."

* * *

There were lights on the horizon. Ryou had spotted them through the window, and after waking up Malik, they'd found a ladder leading to the roof, curling up to watch the show. The lights dimmed before changing color and reappearing again, brighter. The city skyline was dark and savaged against them.

"What do you think is going on?" Ryou asked, resting his head on Malik's shoulder. He didn't get an immediate reply but felt the other shrug after a moment.

"The final battle, a rescue party," Malik started listing, "more destruction, a carnival."

Ryou laughed. "If it is a carnival, we should go." He looked at Malik who was observing him from the corner of his eye. "Have you ever been?"

"I've only been around limited amounts of time, I haven't done much of anything besides killing and destroying."

"I'd like to take you, sometime," Ryou said. "It wouldn't even have to be a carnival, just something fun and ordinary."

Malik's eyes narrowed but less in annoyance and more like a content cat's did. "I suppose if I had to do something like that, I'd rather it be with you." He leaned in and Ryou met him halfway. They forgot all about the lights when Ryou climbed into his lap, pushing him back with his weight. As Malik leaned backwards, the change in position made both moan.

Ryou pulled back enough to get a few words in. "Um, I just, should we take this indoors?" It was unlikely that they'd be discovered this late at night on outskirts of a city largely abandoned but Ryou felt like he should at least put the option on the table.

He stopped caring when Malik's hand found his ass to help him along and his mouth became otherwise occupied. Malik swallowed his whimpers, rising up to meet him. Ryou was unsure of what to do with his hands. After a bit of fumbling, Malik solved that problem for him when he took hold of Ryou's wrists as he flipped them over. The roof was cold against his back but Ryou didn't have a lot of faculties to dedicate to the sensation as Malik attached his mouth on the vulnerable underside of his jaw and worked his way down from there.

Ryou wrapped his legs around Malik's waist for some leverage. A surprised "ah!" forced its way out of his mouth at the teeth on his throat. He hadn't known he liked that. The sound encouraged Malik to bite down harder. Not hard enough to draw blood, just hard enough to have Ryou bucking up helplessly, with Malik's name on his lips.

* * *

The next morning, Ryou woke up indoors with Malik's sleeping weight half on him. They had watched the lights fade, after, and dragged each other back inside the house to clean up and sleep. It was either late morning or noon judging from the light streaming through the window crack. It was unusual for Ryou to sleep this late but it was even more rare for Malik. However, the moment Ryou made a moved to wiggle out from under him, Malik's eyes shot open.

"Good morning," Ryou muttered, less than a hundred percent awake. Malik just watched him for a moment before his lips stretched into a grin. He rolled to his side so Ryou was free and ran his knuckles down the side of Ryou's throat.

"You bruise nicely."

Ryou frowned but his blush betrayed his true emotions. "That's a weird thing to compliment someone on."

"Maybe," Malik conceded. "Would you let me give you more?"

How red could he turn on the course of one conversation? They could probably heat their breakfast on his cheek at this rate. "I uh, I'm not, I mean," Ryou struggled to form a sentence. Time to change the subject. "N-not right now. I want to go see if we can find the source of the lights." He could hear Malik laughing at him when he bolted from the floor and ran into the kitchen. For the first time in days, he was hungry.

Ryou was rinsing his spoon when Malik showed up in the kitchen doorway. "Do you even know where to start looking?" His mood had gone from playful to annoyed in the last couple of minutes and Ryou didn't know how to react to the change.

"Do you not want to go, or?" Ryou asked while filling up water bottles. He hadn't taken into account that Malik might not be thrilled to find Yuugi and the others.

"Oh, I'm coming with you," Malik said. "I just want to know if you actually have a plan. The last time you left on a whim didn't turn out that well for you."

Ryou couldn't help but smile at that a little. "You're worried about me," he sang, handing Malik his bottle. He took it but he didn't look happy about it.

"And what of it?" Malik challenged.

Taken aback by the lack of denial, Ryou struggled with finding words to reply. He played with the edge of the worndown label on his bottle, unable to maintain eye contact. "I ah, just, um," he said. After a moment of gathering himself, he peeked at Malik through his bangs just to see the smuggest of smirks. "You're doing this on purpose," he accused without much anger, too flustered.

The smirk widened. "I don't know what you mean."

"Right, like I believe that," Ryou crossed his arms. "And I do have a plan, sort of? It looked like the lights were coming from somewhere around the city center, so that's where we'll head first." It was another long shot but what else was there? They could stay were they were, huddled in their little sanctuary until they ran out of resources. He wasn't much of a planner, but even Ryou recognized that it wasn't sustainable.

Malik sighed and looked away. "I suppose that's better than nothing," he admitted, reluctant. In an attempt to be reassuring, even though he wasn't sure what the problem was, Ryou pat him on the shoulder as he passed. The gesture felt lacking but if he gave in and kissed Malik, they'd never leave.

Out in the city, the wreckage still looked eerie but it wasn't as off-putting as it had been. Ryou couldn't put his finger on why. They made their trek in silence. There was a sense of finality to it and Ryou wished he knew what to say to lift the mood.

He never got the change to come up with anything.

"Do you hear that?" Ryou asked, looking around like he expected the source of the sound to jump out. Malik didn't reply but he too looked on edge. They passed a couple alleyways before merging on the main street. The sound of helicopter rotors echoed between the buildings. Ryou ran after the sound, grabbing Malik by the hand to pull him along.

"Bakura!"

Ryou looked up at the voice. Yuugi waved at him from the helicopter, Malik's grip tightened on his hand. "Yuugi," Ryou breathed in a mix of relief and surprise. Once landed, his other friends piled out of the helicopter, Kaiba the last of them. Malik pulled Ryou closer, and too awed to realize how the action appeared to his friends, Ryou went until his back hit chest. To him, the gesture was familiar, reassuring even, but to his friends it was a threat.

Yuugi's eyes widened. "Malik, you're..."

"Let go of him, you freak!" Jounouchi yelled, ready to throw down.

Malik leaned his chin on Ryou's shoulder, pushing aside his hair. Ryou felt him grin against the side if his neck, saw the horrified expressions on his friends' faces and knew that things were about to escalate. "Wait, this isn't as bad as it looks like!" he hurried to explain.

"Don't worry, we'll get Rishid. It'll be ok," Yuugi said like he hadn't heard Ryou at all. He should have felt reassured, not frustrated. Malik would go back to being Malik Prime, he was reunited with his friends and he'd have company that didn't hold him close at night and whisper disturbing nothings into his ear.

"That'll be just a temporary solution," Malik pointed out, loud enough for Yuugi and company to hear.

Ryou turned his back to his friends to face Malik. His vision was blurry, he felt Malik's thumb under his eye and for some reason it just made the tears worse.

"You're so pretty like this," Malik said, softly enough to be for Ryou's ears alone. Ryou let out a broken laugh.

"They're tears of relief; I'll be rid of you," Ryou lied, pressing closer.

"Until the next crisis," Malik promised against Ryou's mouth

Helicopter blades beat the air, the sun shone brighter. It was over.


End file.
